Article December 2, 1922 Issue

Light

M. PAULINE HAHN

The prophet Isaiah said, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined;" and in the gospel of John we have the words of Jesus, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." Surely the light spoken of by the prophet, and later on by the Master, cannot mean that which we refer to when we say, "Open the shutter," "Raise the shade," or, "It will soon be light," signifying the light of day; neither can it have referred to the person, Jesus. There was continuity of thought between the prophet and Christ Jesus; and the light spoken of did not refer to finite person or thing, but to the impersonal Christ, perceived by Isaiah and demonstrated by Jesus the Christ. On page 583 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy gives us a definition of Christ as "the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error." This manifestation is the light which comes to human consciousness to destroy the darkness of false belief. In other words, it is spiritual truth which destroys the material lie.

The writer is reminded of an experience, shortly after taking up the study of Christian Science, which proved the truth of the above. A Christian Science lecture had been attended, in the course of which the lecturer quoted from the second chapter of Genesis. He explained that the effect of a mist is to mystify; and then, at greater length, he spoke of the record of the so-called creation of the "dust" man. The student did not understand; but her desire to do so was answered a few days later. One rainy morning, being the third successive rainy day, as she looked out of the car window on her way to business, the thought came, "Another rainy day!" Then there followed, "But the sun is shining;" and then came the realization that though the rain and its effects could be apparently seen and felt, the unalterable fact remained that the sun was shining in the same place, with the same amount of warmth and light as when visible to the eye. Something was then understood about the mist spoken of at the lecture. This mist was seen to be the material sense of things; but notwithstanding this mystifying sense, God and His image, "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever," remained unchanged. All day, as others complained of the weather, to her a golden glow covered the earth. This, then, was light where darkness seemed to be.

At the present time the peoples of the earth are walking in a particular phase of darkness, which human belief calls poor business or lack. We are hearing of this darkness, not only from individuals, but from nations; and, surely, the light of Truth needed to dissipate the erroneous is present. Turning to the Bible, which Mrs. Eddy tells us (Science and Health, p. 406) "contains the recipe for all healing," we find that he who said, "I am come a light," was driven into the wilderness, where he fasted forty days and forty nights. He fasted from material beliefs in their every phase; and, after he had completed the fast, he had to prove the nothingness of materiality through the affluence of his spiritual understanding. He had to prove the power of the light of Truth to dispel the darkness of the belief in lack or limitation. The record states he was "an hungered;" and as evil has no new arguments, may we not conclude they were the same as come to any one making this demonstration, irrespective of the kind of business? He was tempted to use materially the power which had been given him; that is, to believe that supply was material. But as a result of his fasting from error and clear perception of the light of Truth, he was enabled to answer, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Is not the Word of God ever present? Is it not inexhaustible?

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